Dressing Balls

Anyone remember Dressing Balls?
Or was it just in my family?

This was many years ago, back in the early
70's. I remember my Grandmother made dressing,
she was out of stock to add to it, and it was
stiff - too stiff to even spread in her casserole
dish. So my Mother took the dressing, and
formed balls. Balls maybe as big as an ice
cream scoop, a single serving so to speak. Mom
put them on a cookie sheet with a pat of butter
on top of each one, and she baked them at 400
degrees for half an hour or so. Then she made a
nice creamy gravy from the giblets, and when
the dressing balls came out of the oven she put
them in the gravy. They looked a little odd,
balls of dressing sitting in a bowl of gravy, but
each of us got one and WOW were they good!
Crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside with
that mild peppery gravy too. I can still remember
all of us eating them, it was dark outside
and the windows were all steamy - my
Mamaw was so surprised how they turned out.
We had them for a few years, and then we sort
of forgot about them. But they would be so
good to have as a change of pace for your
Thanksgiving table! I saw them in an old magazine
I was going through today, and wondered
if anyone else had ever had them?


Favorites on our table for Thanksgiving Continued

Catt’s Green Beans

Martha's Cranberry Conserve

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 Tbsp grated orange peel
2 oranges, peeled sliced and quartered
1 cup raisins
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup chopped pecans
2 1/2 cups sugar


In large saucepan, combine cranberries, orange
peel, oranges, raisins, and water. Simmer
until cranberries are soft (this takes
about 20 minutes, until they split). Add pecans
and sugar, stir well, and simmer 10-15
minutes, stirring often. Cool, then spoon
into containers and chill. Stays good for
about 2 weeks.

Catt's Pumpkin Butter

I made this last year, and didn't even remember
it. But my son came by today for lunch and
wanted to know when I was going to make
more. He took what I made last year home with
him and put it on his toast and muffins. It is
really easy to make, and makes great gifts.

1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree
3/4 cup apple juice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and
sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture
to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30
minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Put
in jars or containers and refrigerate. Stays good
for 2 weeks.

Just a note - last year, I grated fresh nutmeg in
it, and I have to say - it made a big difference.

I always have green beans on my Thanksgiving table.
I just take canned or frozen green beans, my favorite
being the Green Giant Kitchen Sliced. I drain them,
cover them with water, and add a slice of bacon, a little
minced onion (fresh or dried), salt, pepper and a
teaspoon of chicken base (or bullion.) This is for 1 - 2
cans. You bring them to a boil, reduce heat and simmer
for 30 minutes.

You can also use frozen, and in that case, you prepare
them as above, but they need to simmer at least an
hour. In both cases, you can choose to pressure cook
them - just cook them 10 - 15 minutes.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Crunchy Topping

I use canned sweet potatoes, just cook them in a sauce
pan, and then drain. I then mash them with a little
heavy cream, real butter, and a touch of brown sugar
and cinnamon. Then I pour it in a greased casserole
dish.

Here is the topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans

I just mix the first 3 things together with a fork, then
add the nuts. I sprinkle it on top, then just bake at 400
degrees until brown and bubbly. This is a very sweet
dish. And the house smells so good when you cook it!

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What the country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds.